﻿DOMESTIC 
  BREEDING 
  MOSQUITOS 
  OF 
  THE 
  GOLD 
  COAST. 
  49 
  

  

  indigenous 
  " 
  domestic 
  " 
  mosquitos 
  of 
  any 
  place. 
  Where 
  a 
  halt 
  of 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  

   days 
  was 
  made 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  possible 
  to 
  go 
  further 
  afield 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  larvae, 
  Anophelines 
  

   were 
  invariably 
  found. 
  

  

  Larvae 
  of 
  six 
  species 
  of 
  mosquitos 
  were 
  commonly 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  various 
  collections 
  

   of 
  water 
  encountered 
  in 
  the 
  native 
  compounds 
  and 
  houses, 
  namely 
  :- 
  — 
  S. 
  fasciata, 
  F. 
  , 
  

   8. 
  vittata, 
  Big. 
  (sugens, 
  Theo.), 
  Culiciomyia 
  nebulosa, 
  Theo., 
  Culex 
  duttoni, 
  Theo., 
  

   G. 
  decens, 
  Theo., 
  and 
  C. 
  tigripes 
  var. 
  fuscus, 
  Theo. 
  Larvae 
  of 
  A. 
  costalis, 
  Loew, 
  

   and 
  Culex 
  invidiosus, 
  Theo., 
  were 
  also 
  taken 
  in 
  domestic 
  utensils, 
  but 
  they 
  were 
  far 
  

   from 
  common. 
  

  

  As 
  regards 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  these 
  mosquitos, 
  it 
  was 
  noticed 
  that 
  larvae 
  of 
  G. 
  duttoni 
  

   were 
  usually 
  found 
  in 
  water 
  in 
  pots 
  that 
  had 
  been 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  brewing 
  of 
  " 
  peto 
  " 
  

   (native 
  beer) 
  or 
  had 
  contained 
  that 
  liquid. 
  ' 
  Peto 
  " 
  has 
  a 
  characteristic 
  sour 
  odour 
  

   which 
  is 
  very 
  persistent 
  and 
  clings 
  for 
  long 
  to 
  any 
  vessel 
  that 
  has 
  contained 
  it. 
  

   Larvae 
  of 
  G. 
  duttoni 
  were 
  never 
  found 
  at 
  any 
  distance 
  from 
  human 
  habitations, 
  

   except 
  at 
  Tumu, 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  discovered 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  pool 
  near 
  the 
  swamp 
  at 
  a 
  

   distance 
  of 
  about 
  500 
  yards 
  from 
  the 
  nearest 
  hut 
  ; 
  this 
  particular 
  pool 
  it 
  was 
  

   afterwards 
  ascertained 
  was 
  made 
  use 
  of 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  cleansing 
  

   their 
  " 
  peto 
  " 
  pots. 
  Larvae 
  of 
  C. 
  decens 
  and 
  of 
  Culiciomyia 
  nebulosa 
  were 
  generally 
  

   discovered 
  in 
  utensils 
  holding 
  foul 
  water, 
  often 
  associated 
  with 
  larvae 
  of 
  G. 
  duttoni 
  

   and 
  larvae 
  of 
  G. 
  tigripes 
  and 
  occasionally 
  with 
  larvae 
  of 
  S. 
  fasciata. 
  ' 
  Peto 
  " 
  pots 
  

   apparently 
  offered 
  no 
  attraction 
  to 
  the 
  adult 
  females 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  species. 
  Larvae 
  

   of 
  G. 
  tigripes 
  were 
  found 
  indifferently 
  in 
  vessels 
  containing 
  fresh 
  or 
  foul 
  water 
  ; 
  

   possibly 
  the 
  adult 
  female 
  lays 
  her 
  eggs 
  only 
  in 
  water 
  which 
  she 
  knows 
  instinctively 
  

   to 
  contain 
  eggs 
  or 
  larvae 
  of 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  mosquitos. 
  

  

  Larvae 
  of 
  S. 
  fasciata 
  and 
  S. 
  vittata 
  were 
  frequently 
  found 
  associated, 
  usually 
  

   in 
  clean 
  water. 
  The 
  commonest 
  receptacles 
  containing 
  these 
  larvae 
  were 
  small 
  

   earthenware 
  pots 
  or 
  portions 
  of 
  calabashes 
  used 
  for 
  holding 
  the 
  drinking 
  water 
  

   for 
  the 
  fowls 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  compound. 
  It 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  noted 
  that 
  S. 
  vittata 
  is 
  not 
  

   solely 
  a 
  ' 
  domestic 
  ' 
  breeder 
  ; 
  larvae 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  enormous 
  

   numbers 
  in 
  shallow 
  pools 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  weathering 
  of 
  outcrops 
  of 
  gneiss 
  (?) 
  and 
  

   laterite 
  far 
  from 
  any 
  human 
  habitation. 
  Apparently, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  by 
  

   Bacot, 
  this 
  species 
  passes 
  through 
  its 
  cycle 
  of 
  development 
  at 
  a 
  very 
  rapid 
  rate, 
  

   and 
  perhaps 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  compelled 
  to 
  do 
  so 
  by 
  the 
  rapid 
  evaporation 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  

   from 
  these 
  pools 
  under 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  tropical 
  sun. 
  Larvae 
  of 
  Culiciomyia 
  

   nebulosa 
  were 
  also 
  occasionally 
  found 
  in 
  pools 
  in 
  the 
  " 
  bush 
  " 
  at 
  great 
  distances 
  

   from 
  the 
  villages. 
  

  

  Larvae 
  of 
  C. 
  invidiosus 
  were 
  quite 
  common 
  in 
  swampy 
  pools 
  in 
  the 
  " 
  bush," 
  while 
  

   they 
  were 
  only 
  rarely 
  found 
  in 
  collections 
  of 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  native 
  compounds. 
  On 
  

   the 
  other 
  hand, 
  larvae 
  and 
  pupae 
  of 
  C. 
  decens, 
  which 
  so 
  closely 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  

   C. 
  invidiosus, 
  were 
  not 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  swamp 
  pools, 
  but 
  abounded 
  in 
  domestic 
  utensils. 
  

  

  Larvae 
  of 
  G. 
  ager 
  var. 
  ethiopicus, 
  Edw., 
  were 
  taken 
  only 
  in 
  swamp 
  pools 
  in 
  

   which 
  filmy 
  algae 
  (Spirogyra 
  ?) 
  were 
  growing 
  ; 
  the 
  tint 
  of 
  these 
  larvae 
  is 
  almost 
  

   the 
  same 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  algae 
  and 
  is 
  doubtless 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  protective 
  colouring 
  

   (cf. 
  larvae 
  of 
  Culex 
  annulioris, 
  Theo., 
  and 
  C. 
  consimilis, 
  Newst.). 
  Larvae 
  of 
  

   Anopheles 
  pretoriensis, 
  Theo., 
  were 
  found 
  at 
  Winduri 
  in 
  rock 
  pools 
  in 
  association 
  

   with 
  larvae 
  of 
  Stegomyia 
  vittata. 
  

   (C572) 
  d 
  

  

  